How To Clean A Cedar Deck Before Staining
You can use a garden hose with a pressure nozzle attached but we recommend pressure washing with a power washer.
How to clean a cedar deck before staining. Let it sit for about 15 minutes then wipe it off with a cleaning rag. Using the deck brush apply the soapy water liberally to all surfaces you want to clean. Follow the directions on the deck stripper for removing the stain from the deck. If your deck is very large or if you have a lot to clean you may need to make another batch of soapy water.
If you d like to further brighten your deck you may apply a specially made deck cleaner at this point. After you have washed it wait for it to dry before applying any stain to the cedar. Use a thick brush when staining. Wait 10 15 minutes for the soap to soak in and do its work.
Use a power washer or hose to thoroughly clean the surface of the deck. Apply a small amount of deck stripper to a small area on your deck. If your cedar decking has been exposed to the elements for a longer period of time and has weathered a great deal then you should wash it before staining. This will renew the decking color as well as allow the stain to be absorbed more effectively.
Cleaning staining and sealing. Be careful to keep the power washer on a low setting too much pressure can damage your cedar deck. Once you ve scrubbed the wood planks with deck cleaner and made sure that they re clean rinse all traces of soap from the entire deck before you can start staining. If the stain comes off the stain is water based.
In the backpack pump sprayer mix a one to one ratio of biodegradable wood cleaner to water.